F09 School Research - Cara

School Research: Shea Senior High School=

Author: Cara Brown
District: Pawtucket
School: Shea

A. Information Works

When you researched the community and district, you were provided tables to help with the task of making sense of the various graphs available on Information Works site. For your school report, you should make sense of the data on your own. Remember that you can email your instructor if you have any difficulties.

To research your school, you should consider the questions about schools that we brainstormed in class and decide on some questions that YOU think should be answered in your description of your school You should research at least four of the indicators on the school report page for your school to gather information that you feel will serve as evidence for your description.

1. Demographics of Shea Senior High School

• Total Number of Students: 1089
• 40% Black, 33% Hispanic, 25% White, 2% Native American and/or Asian
• 22% English as a Second Language (ESL) students
• 12% Special Education Students

Summary Statement: There is a diverse population at Shea Senior High School. With the state of Rhode Island being predominately white, Shea is in the minority with most of its students being of African American and Hispanic descent. This provides an interracial atmosphere with many cultures and traditions emerging.

2. NECAP Exams (2007-2008)

Percent Proficient in Mathematics:
Shea: 7%
Rhode Island: 22%

Percent Proficient in Reading:
Shea: 35%
Rhode Island: 62%

Percent Proficient in Writing:
Shea: 20%
Rhode Island: 37%

Summary Statement: Unfortunatley, the assessments according to the New England Common Assessments Program (NECAP), shows that Shea is performing at a substancially lower level than Rhode Island in accordance to Mathematics, Reading and Writing. In all areas, with the excepting or writing, Shea was almost half as proficient as the state. These statistics provide an basic look at the performance of the students at this high school, but may not be a sole indicator as to the education and teaching practiced at this school.


3. How Safe is the School Environment According to the Students? (2006-2007)

Percentage of Students Who Feel that they Can Talk to a Teacher or Faculty Member About..

• Personal or Family Problems Most/All of the Time: 17%
• Academic Issues Most/All of the Time: 31%

Percentage of Students Reporting That..

• Not Getting Along With Teachers is a Moderate to Very Big Hassle: 14%
• They Were Robbed One or More Times in School: 25%
• Being Teased or Bothered By Other Students at Schools is a Moderate to Very Big Hassle: 11%
• Someone Tried to Sell Them Drugs One or More Times at School: 22%

Summary Statement: The student response percentages for Shea were fairly low to average in accordance with the state's range of percentages. In all areas, Shea scored equal to or lower than Rhode Island's calculated averages. With this being said, the overall environment of Shea High School, in the eyes of the students, is a fairly safe and comfortable atmosphere.


4. What are the Graduation Rates of this School?

Shea

• Percent Graduated in 2008: 57%
• Percent Dropped Out: 26.6%
• Percent Completed GED in 2008: 1.9%

Rhode Island

• Percent Graduated in 2008: 37.9%
• Percent Dropped Out: 15.5%
• Percent Completed GED: 3.2

Summary Statement: Unfortunately, the graduation percentage for Shea in 2008 was a little over half, at 57%. The drop out rate is 26.6%; which concludes that out of the percentage of students who are not graduating, a majority of them are dropping out rather than failing out. In comparison with the state, Shea has a higher graduation rate, but also a higher drop out rate. The completion rate for GED's is low for both Shea and the state, which concludes that a majority of the students who are dropping out are not receiving their GED's.

5. Per Pupil Expenditures For..

General Education and Title I
Shea: $7125
Rhode Island: $9220

Special Education
Shea: $17881
Rhode Island: $21258

English Language Learners
Shea: $13495
Rhode Island: $12555

Career and Technical Education
Shea: $7125
Rhode Island: $22795

Summary Statement: Per pupil, Shea is receiving less money than most high schools in Rhode Island. Funding for Career and Technical Education is very low in comparison to the state's funding. However, Shea is above Rhode Island for expenditures for English Language Learners. There is a large percentage of students, (22%) who are ESL students, so this money is necessary. Special Education Students accounts for 12% of Shea's population, and the expenditures for this department in low in relation to the states.

B. SALT Reports

In addition to survey data reported in Information Works, the SALT Surveys and the SALT visit report provides an "on the ground" description of what a group of visiting evaluators found while visiting the school for several days. After learning more about the SALT cycle from the link above, review the most recent report for your school and summarize what you find:

Data of last SALT visit: 2007-2008

School Work Climate (on a scale from 1.0-5.0, never-always)

• Positive School Work Climate- 3.3
• Staff Recognition: 3.3
• Staff Commitment: 3.4
• Organization and Clarity of Expectations: 3.2
• Students are Disruptive: 3.4
• Students Demonstrate Achievement Orientation: 2.9
• Positive Teacher-Pupil Interactions: 3.4

Classroom Practices (on a scale from 1.0-7.0, never-daily)

• Integration and Interdisciplinary Practices: 2.4
• Community Based Learning Opportunities: 1.7
• Authentic Instruction: 3.8
• Critical Thinking Enhanced Practices: 2.9
• Students Use the Media/Library: 3.0

Notes from Report:

Findings on Student Learning

• Students have a very basic understanding of writing and how to correctly form sentences.
• Students lack strategies necessary for fully comprehending reading and processing it.
• Students attempt to do problem solving, but they are often unable to do multi-step processing.
• Students are interested and curious to learn; they embrace their diversity.

Atmosphere

• One principal and two assistant principals.
• Five 69 minute periods over three terms.
• Over the past three years, decreases in funding necessitated a reduction of teachers, staff and course offerings.
• Recently, there have been an increase in electives in Literacy, Numeracy and English. This has caused a reduction in the number of courses in the Art and Music department.
• The district allocated city monies to the purchase of overhead projectors, video and digital cameras, multi-media projectors, and interactive white boards (math), but teachers do not yet have some of these resources.
• In September 2006, the school initiated an In-House Restriction Program to minimize the academic learning that students miss, when they break school and/or classroom rules.
• A parent/teacher organization, The Friends of Shea, welcomes parents and family members at monthly meetings. This group functions as a fundraiser.
• The students are ready and eager to improve themselves as learners, but, at this time, the curriculum does not have the rigor to sufficiently challenge most.
• There is a palpable tension between the central administration and the Shea community. The school community — including parents — believes that the district administration does not provide the proper support for supplies, school-focused training, and necessary staff to ensure success for all.

Summary Statement:

• Shea Senior High School is home to a diverse population of students and teachers.
• The staff here is hard-working and support the students in their learning.
• Unfortunately, there is a lack of necessary materials for enhanced learning but the teachers make the most of what they have.
• The environment encourages learning, but is not persistent in its processes to enforce it.
• Teachers and administration should acquire strategies to better address reading and writing needs of students.
• The principal and staff lead the school and are committed to their students, however they need to take a firmer hand and raise the vigor of the curriculum.